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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Winter Rental: surprisingly welcoming

I got a sample from East Coast Beer Co. back in December, their Winter Rental schwarzbier. I was all "ho-hum, another New Jersey contract brewer," because these outfits haven't had a great track record. (Anyone remember Coffaro Beer? Diving Horse Lager?) It's brewed at Genesee, as you can tell by the "Rochester, NY" on the label, where they've done a great job on the Narragansett seasonals, but...to be honest, I wasn't in a rush to try it.

But then I needed to get some tasting notes together for a column I do in the local weekly paper (nice source of pocket money), so Tuesday afternoon I popped it. Okay, I'd made a mistake waiting this long! The beer smelled rich and malty from almost a foot away, but it was not thick and sweet on the tongue: smoothly refreshing (sounds like a 60s beer ad, I know, but it is), a little hop bite up front that swooshes into lightly chocolatey malt with a slight crunch of roast; saunters off into a clean finish.

I have to apologize to you: shouldn't have waited so long on this one. If you like schwarzbier, get out and give this one a shot. It's 5.6% ABV, and quite tasty.

17 comments:

I started doing it for the Bucks County Advance about three years ago. Just a 50 word weekly beer review. And it got picked up in all their papers: Princeton Packet, Bristol Pilot, and so on. Fun, I get to talk about beers I like, and it's some easy money, frankly. Not a lot, but I like having a local presence too, even though it is pretty small.

You guys in Pennsy will probably be late to your own funerals...when the brewer's your former student, like Tom is mine, you get advance notice of good beers like this. Have you guys heard of iPads yet? ;)

The folks at High Falls(not Genesee anymore) make the best remaining affordable porter IMHO (in the absence of the late, lamented Stegmaier porter), though it's only available these days in their Dundee's variety pack.

Not surprising then, to me at least, that they can make a great schwarzbier.

And yes, I remember both Coffaro and Diving Horse, though very vaguely for obvious reasons.

Lew, I honestly had no idea it had reverted back to Genesee. Good news as far as I'm concerned! Own your legacy.

Scoats, that lager yeast is indeed first-rate, to the point that they will not let another brewery's yeast into the plant. Straub contract brews their canned product there, and they must use Genny's yeast. No encroachers!

I have had it. This may be an upopular verdict, especially among beer geeks (I love riling up that sect), but I find genesee bock superior to gansett bock, and at half the cost. There is something unique about the taste that I really enjoy. Genny bock has proven extremly popular with my non-geek beer drinking friends that they are what I call devoted drinkers.

Head up to the midstate Lew and you'll find it next month, or to the NE. It'll be around in your travels. It is what it is. If you dont mind corn (I dont) and dont expect it to be $40 a case beer and just enjoy it for what it is, you wont find a better beer for the price. Makes a great alternative to lighter stuff out of the cooler in warmer days, too.

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All opinions expressed on this blog are strictly my own; they do not reflect those of the publications for which I work.
I've been a full-time drinks writer since 1996. Currently I'm managing editor of Whisky Advocate magazine, and my first whiskey book, "Tasting Whiskey," came out in October 2014. I am the author of four regional brewery guidebooks. Next time you see me at a bar or event or distillery, say hi.